from nbc news this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybody. we're so glad you're with us today. it is booze day tuesday. it's december 18th. hoda and i were just saying sometimes it's hard to get up in the morning and go to work and you sort of want to give up on the world, and then hoda said you can't today. it's booze day tuesday. >> how could we? >> plus, there's hope in the world.

we're going to show you some hope in our show today. >> it was kind of cool. if you were at home watching "the voice" last night, which was the finale, they started off with this really, really moving tribute. there have been a lot of terrific tributes, but this one was really striking, i think. all the coaches and the participants sang a beautiful song. let's take a listen. ♪ i heard there was a secret chord that david played and it pleased the lord but you don't really care for music, do you ♪ ♪ and it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth ♪ the nine -- minor fourth the major left ♪ ♪ hallelujah ♪ hallelujah ♪ hallelujah ♪ i did my best and it wasn't

much, i couldn't feel so i tried to touch i told the truth, i didn't try to fool you ♪ ♪ even though it all went wrong i stand before the lord with song nothing on my tongue but hallelujah ♪ >> just beautiful, wasn't it? >> standing in for that person that was lost. it's really powerful. >> it was really beautiful. the finale has come down to three singers. team cee lo as nicholas david and team blake has two of them, terry mcdermott and cassadee po pope. >> it's going to come down to the final -- >> the other two don't have anybody in. >> no, they don't. now, we are going to pick the winner, the two of us right now. let's take a look. ♪ lean on me when you're not strong and i'll be your friend

i'll help you carry on ♪ ♪ i want to know what love is i want you to show me ♪ ♪ i want to feel what love is ♪ if you cry a little lie just a little and tell me you're feeling a little more pain ♪ >> okay. we've already picked the winner. we have picked the winner. >> now to tonight -- >> i said it weeks ago, and i haven't even been watching the show. >> you were out in the front on this. we don't know. we'll know tonight. >> we are going to guess that the winner is cassadee pope. >> having not watched it, watching that first gentleman that was playing the piano and singing reminds me so much years and years ago there was a guy

that i dated for a while named buster. now, i don't remember his last name, but my daddy didn't like buster. every time that buster would come, my daddy would sort of close the door on him and come in and go it's buster at the door. i'm thinking buster was such a sweet guy, but that guy looks like buster at the door. >> i know my mother -- my father had no idea what buster wanted with me, you know? >> all right. >> i'm really actually kind of rooting for buster. >> there have been a lot of people who have been doing some really kind things lately, and we're going to talk about some that have been as a result of the shooting, but there was also this police officer, and he was driving down the street, and he pulled a guy over whose registration had expired. >> license plates, right. >> he says to the guy, you know, your registration is expired. he said, look, i had to make a decision between getting my registration and for my kids and

stuff. >> feeding my family. >> the guy said i'm sorry i'm going to have to write you a ticket. he wrote the ticket anyway, and inside the police officer slipped $100 bill, and he handed him the ticket, and the guy opened up and saw the cash in there, and just felt like he was renewed, like somebody -- >> somebody helped him. he said he believed in god again because somebody had reached out in kindness. first of all, so many times all we hear about are the problems with our police, but my gosh, they are 90% or 99% of them, they're amazing. >> they really are. >> they really are. they're certainly not in that business for the money, you know? >> no. >> they really serve the public, so i'm always happy when there's a great policeman story like that. >> me too. >> the other nice thing that has happened is that they sent ten comfort dogs into newtown. i don't know if we have some video that we can go to. these are all german shepherds. >> i think they came 800 miles. >> golden retrievers. >> golden retrievers, that's right. where from, hoda?

>> illinois. >> they're starting this up in more and more states because it works. they just are so loving and they're a safe place for people. >> really cool. >> look at those faces. ah. >> we were saying one of the problems with this -- there are a million problems with what happened in sandy hook, but people want to help and do something. we kept saying we know how frustrating it is because you don't -- it's not like a hurricane where you can give clothes or money or help, pull out drywall or something, but people are starting to do this thing where they're doing an act of kindness, and there's a thing going on on twitter and -- >> paying it forward. >> people are paying it forward, and a woman said she was in line at starbucks. she bought a coffee. she handed it to the guy behind her, and the man behind her said thank you, and she said i'm a teacher, and he hugged her, and she cried. or another lady called the general store in newtown i think from california and said i want you to give a free cup of coffee to every single person who walks into the general store today on me, and so each person who walked in totally anonymous from

california, and so i think everyone -- sometimes it's a little thing. you do something small for someone, like one guy just wrote on twitter, i held the door. i know that should be a normal thing, but the person behind appreciates it, and i think it's something -- so there is something you can do. >> there's always something you can do. >> like what can i do? >> you may not be able to change the world, but you can always change somebody's world. >> always. >> talk about some good news today, you guys. >> yeah. >> richard engel is an nbc -- he is our chief foreign correspondent. >> brilliant reporter. >> he was snatched really in syria, i think it was on wednesday, so there have been several days where he had been missing, and i know his -- >> his camera crew and producer, right? >> right. they kept it -- they were really trying to keep it sort of quiet so they could get this thing resolved. the good news was he was ultimately released, and what he went through sounded -- he and his crew sounded so harrowing. they were taken by who we think

is bashar al assad's guys. they were blindfolded, and they were bound, and all this kind of stuff. richard describes a little bit about what happened. let's take a listen. >> they kept us blindfolded, bound. we weren't physically beaten or tortured. there was a lot of psychological torture. threats of being killed. they made us choose which one of us would be shot first, and when we refused, there were mock shootings. they pretended to shoot gazi several times when you were blindfolded, and then they fired the gun up in the air. it can be very traumatic experience. >> who knows how this could have turned out. this is one of those unbelievable experiences where they just happened upon a -- >> there was a checkpoint, i think, and they were with the rebels. >> rebel checkpoint. >> apparently there was a shoot-out, and two of the guys who took richard and his crew captive were killed, richard said, and they just kind of made a run for it, and that was -- >> blindfolded and bound?

that's what's interesting. we'll get the full story eventually but there's some good news. there's some good news. >> so it is -- you know, it still is -- >> let's say it. >> it still is booze day tuesday. so we do have something for you to lighten -- >> somebody wanted us to do it again. who are we to disappoint people? >> we don't like to do that. this is a wine sampler that's $24.94. >> don't misrepresent. 94 cents. >> $25. how about if i round up? so anyway each one is a pinot or something. >> that's -- that is -- that's your -- >> that's white. >> pinot noir. no, it isn't? jerry. >> here. here it is. >> jerry, have you been drinking on the job? do you know how wrong that is? >> oh, anyway -- >> have you no shame, jerry?

why are we doing this again? >> because we want to. coming up, this is a really funny movie. it's something for mothers and sons. actor seth row began is -- rogan is going to open up about his movie "guilt trip" with barbra streisand. >> look how cute he looks. help me. popular tv stars saying good-bye while others welcome a baby. we've got all your hollywood buzz. guess who is in town? >> who? wooohooo....hahaahahaha! oh...there you go. wooohooo....hahaahahaha! i'm gonna stand up to her! no you're not. i know. you know ronny folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. how happy are they jimmy? happier than a witch in a broom factory. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

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in his new film funny man

seth rogan hits the road with his unlikely partner barbara streisand, and they hit some bumps along the way. >> "the guilt trip" is about a mother-son relationship that takes on an adventurous life of its own. take a look. >> do you want to come on my trip with me, mom? >> you want to drive cross-country with me? >> yeah. no. you know, we won't be gone long. it's only eight days in the car together. >> wait a minute. i want to make sure that i'm hearing you correctly. you want to spend a week in a car with your mother. >> more than anything in the world. >> that was convincing. >> and he is with us. we feel like we see -- >> you have a new movie coming out every six weeks. here you are. >> yeah, i'm in "les mis." i was good, and i sang live on set. no one knows that. first one ever to do that. >> how cool was this, seth, working with, first of all, such an icon? >> it was cool. honestly.

>> you had to wait for her, didn't you? >> she said no for a couple of years. you had to wait for her. >> she said no. she was kind of working on whether or not she wanted to star in another movie. meanwhile, i made other movies. i think i literally made two movies while she was deciding whether or not to make this movie. >> and she wasn't sure she wanted to play yet another mother like she had with "the fockers." >> she didn't know if she wanted to play another jewish mother, but i said i hate to say it, but that's kind of what you're playing. that's what you got. >> was she fun on the set? what's it like? >> she was fun. she would feed me a lot. she would always look for excuses to eat in the scene. a scene with ice cream she'd be talking about it for like three weeks. oh, our ice cream day is coming. we eat ice cream all day. yeah. she's like a jewish mother. she feeds you a lot, and then she criticizes you for eating too much. >> apparently because she is a real life jewish mother to her son jason gould, he was the one that talked her into it. they read the script together, and i guess he was recovering from some surgery.

>> he had back surgery, so he couldn't escape, i guess, and she cornered him and sat down with him and made him read the script with her, and then, yeah, i think that was one of the things that was one of the deciding factors, i guess. >> what prompts your character into inviting his mother to go on this long road trip across country? >> she's very overbearing and she's single in the movie. and i find out that there's this guy that she used to date before my father and who she was really in love with, and i'm trying to reunited her with this guy. >> because she's widowed now. >> i'm trying to reunite with her with the guy so some of the focus will not be on me anymore. it will be on this other dude. pawn her off on someone. pawn her off. exactly. >> was there any ad libbing? >> i know you do quite a bit of comedy yourself. did you get to have some fun here? >> i did. i wasn't sure, you know -- you hear barbara is kind of specific in how she likes things done, so i wasn't sure how loose she would be, but she improvised all the time, and i have a terrible

memory and can't remember things, so i just tend to improvise because i don't remember my lines. we had a very natural dynamic. i'm a son. she's a mother. she knows what it's like to annoy people, and i know what it's like to be annoyed by people. >> now, is it true that she -- because she didn't particularly want to do this movie and had to be talked into it that she said there are things that i'm not going to agree to. >> yeah. >> i'm not going to travel, even though this is a cross-country trip. >> the cross-country road trip movie. >> i'm only going 45 minutes away. >> it was shot in malibu. literally the whole movie was shot in malibu. the grand canyon, that's topanga canyon. it's remarkable what they can do if you don't want to leave malibu. yeah. it's like really amazing. >> we wish you great luck with this movie, seth. >> thank you. >> it opens, i believe, tomorrow. >> yes, wednesday. >> in theaters everywhere. >> everywhere. >> everywhere. have a good holiday. >> i will. thank you so much. >> coming up next, a brave young

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every christmas kids around the world pour their hearts into their letters to santa claus. >> for one family those letters to santa claus are creating a different kind of christmas magic. >> yes, virginia, there is a santa claus, and he's going to be really, really busy this year sorting through all that mail and granting wishes. all thanks to a 9-year-old girl named gabriella miller. ♪ >> what do you want for christmas? >> iphone 5. >> i want a new camera. >> reporter: it's an operation even the elves at the north pole would be proud of. ♪ rudolph the red nosed reindeer ♪ >> reporter: a santa letter writing campaign designed to help make the wish of one little girl come true. >> i'm trying to help out

gabriella. >> that's 9-year-old gabriella miller, a small girl with some big ideas. >> it should be stubborn. >> she's a good kid. she's bright and always thinking about others. >> reporter: recently gabriella and her parents mark and ellen faced some difficult news. gabriella was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. >> how is she feeling? >> the effects of the radiation are accumulative. she gets tired. but she's doing well. she's just got this amazing spirit. >> reporter: the family was told gabriella was eligible to participate in make a wish. her dream? to visit paris. something the family plans to do this spring. ♪ >> reporter: that wasn't enough for gabriella. she also learned that macy's was making a pledge to make a wish. they would donate $1 for every letter written to santa claus up to $1 million. >> gabriella went to her mom. if we write letters for santa, macy's will give money to make a

wish. she called and said how do we do this? >> i said we can do 10,000 letters. >> reporter: family friend christina cole got the word out on facebook, and make a wish for gabriella was born. soon letters were pouring in from across the country. >> i heard she gets really excited when certain letters come in from different places. >> if she's tired or something, then it makes her feel good to know that other people are thinking about her. >> reporter: but it's gabriella who is thinking of others hoping more letters will mean more wishes granted for kids like her. >> a lot of children are writing letters saying, dear santa, i have everything i need. just please cure cancer for christmas. that's all i want. >> reporter: one week into their campaign, they blew past their first goal. >> oh, my god. 21,000 letters. that's when we said let's do 50,000. >> just a few days ago they passed 50,000 letters. >> it's just the sweetness and the innocence of these children writing something down not about santa per se.

it's about expressing their needs and their desires and their wishes. >> santa is merely a figure head, but you guys don't even celebrate christmas. >> right. >> one of the holidays is that you celebrate. it's just goodness and pure and what can we do to be kind to other people? >> you don't have to thank them for generosity and writing letters. >> it's overwhelming, and it's amazing, and we are so very filled with gratitude. >> gabriella's elves were up late counting the latest batch of santa letters, and why number two weeks they've collected, drum roll, please, 76,330 letters. >> just amazing. >> so when the folks at macy's heard about her efforts, they said they would donate an extra $10,000 to make a wish in her name, more than enough to corps one more child's wish. you can read about gabriella's

campaign at at make a wish with gabriella. >> that's so beautiful. >> all righty. >> all right. keeping with the giving spirit, we have tips on tipping. >> yeah, and how to keep -- it's important information. we're also going to keep you healthy during the flu season. >> the hollywood couple expecting their first baby in the buzz.

♪ it started with a whisper >> we are back with more of "today" on this tuesday, and it's time for today's buzz, catching you up with all of the things in and around hollywood. >> from one hot new dad-to-be to wedding bells for kelly clarkson. we've got all the scoop here to dish it all is our friend naughty but nice columnist for huffington post, rob. >> congrats to channing tatum. >> he is expecting a baby. we don't know the sex yet. he and his wife have confirmed a little one is on the way. he is the sexiest man alive. from "people" magazine and everybody else. >> he is one of the sweetest guys in the world. he is so polite.

>> i didn't -- he is not just a good-looking guy. he is the real deal. >> he is madly in love with his wife. >> they're expecting a little one in the new year, i'm sure. >> that child was conceived in love. >> kate middleton. >> yes. >> we have been wondering how she's been. what's the latest? >> the first outing last night in britain. she turned up to present an award for the bbc sports person of the year. it sounds a little bit of a stretch, but that's another reason she probably went. the lovely david beckham was there. >> he is so little. she looked smashing in that dress. >> she's an ambassador for the british olympic team and the paralympics. she looked radiant. >> can we talk about kelly clarkson and good for her. >> great news. she is engaged. she is over the moon. very excited about it. >> who is the guy? >> it's a very interesting story

about brandon, her fiance here. he is the son of her manager who is married to reba. >> norville. reba will be her stepmother? >> will be. they're keeping it in music royalty here, so that's the great news. she's so excited. he is a manager too. he is an agent, manager. >> in norville's company as well? >> absolutely. and she said she's so in love, this is the guy of her dreams. she was bursting about it. >> she was talking about wanting to be engaged before this even happened, and she felt very comfortable talking about it. >> anybody in general? >> she made it clear she wanted the ring. >> a lot of people want to get married desperately, but -- >> "the hobbit" is killing it at box office. >> amazing, and it's broke a record. it has now the december record, $85 million. it dominated the box office, and this is a very good thing because they've already made three, so it's a good thing that the first one was such a hit, because they have another two waiting to come out.

60% of the ticket sales were for 3-d hobbit, so it just goes to show you that the hobbit in 3-d, people are loving 3-d movies. >> i didn't see it. did you love it? >> i loved it. i thought it was fantastic. what i did see -- i saw "les mis." spectacular. >> moving. >> like "lincoln" made me mesmerized. i could have watched it for another hour. have you not seen it yet? >> no, no. >> wonderful, wonderful movie. >> i will. over the holidays. >> let's talk gossip girl. it's a sad, sad day. kathie was crying. >> i haven't seen one episode. never one. >> after six years it finally came to an end last night. this is why this tv show is so important. it had a huge impact on fashion, but really the star of the show -- >> a lot of stars. >> -- was new york city. >> a lot of household names. >> when they started filming this, they insisted on doing it here in new york. a lot of people told them they wouldn't get permits, it would be difficult. they ended up shooting in the

met, grand central station. everywhere. >> new york was the star. >> new york was the star of the show. not since" sex and the city" have we seen such a love letter to new york. >> thank you, rob. >> have a lovely day, darling. if the mad holiday rush is making you feel rundown, we have the cool truth to keep your family from getting sick. >> what you need to know about cold and flu season. we're going to play a game, i heard. a rumor. right here. >> winner. ♪ i am titanium ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of all day pain relief. this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills.

this season, discover aleve. sfx- "sounds of african drum and flute" look who's back. again? it's embarrassing it's embarrassing! we can see you carl. we can totally see you. come on you're better than this...all that prowling around. yeah, you're the king of the jungle. have you thought about going vegan carl? hahaha!! you know folks who save hundreds of dollars by switching to geico sure are happy. how happy are they jimmy? happier than antelope with night-vision goggles. nice! get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

>> getting sick is a real holiday spoiler, but it seems everybody is walking around sneezing and hacking something. how do you know if it's the cold or the flu? here to help us separate the myths from the facts is sacha degarsdorf. editor of "women's health magazine." >> we're going to play a little game. >> myth or fact. we're ready. >> let's kick it off. a cold has the same symptoms as the flu. >> myth. >> both correct. it's a little bit of a trick

question because some of the symptoms are actually the same. runny nose, sneezing, coughing, but the flu is much more severe. we're talking high fever, muscle weakness. you feel like you can't get up, the shakes. maybe even vomiting or nausea. >> and diarrhea. >> yes. very pleasant symptom. yes. >> all right. >> have a nice day. >> moving on. number two. you should feed a fever, starve a cold or vice versa? >> i never get this right. >> or vice versa? >> feed a fever, starve a cold. >> i say you feed a cold and starve a fever. that's a fact. >> it's actually another sort of trick question because they're both wrong. you shouldn't ever be starving anything. when you are sick, your body needs great nutrients to make you feel better, so i think this came from people don't want to eat when they're sick. >> you feel terrible. >> you feel terrible. you want to make sure you're getting enough nutrients. most important, you want to drink tons of fluids. keep drinking. >> wash it out. >> any kind of fluids or just healthy stuff? >> water, water, water.

not that kind of -- >> what's the score? >> 2-1. >> i'm not going to get cocky, because i know pride comes before the fall. >> here is your chance. echinacea fights cold and flu? >> myth. i saw it on the news. >> you are correct. it has not been proven. we've seen a lot of studies in "women's health" but nothing conclusive, so we're calling it a myth for now. number four, to help prevent colds and flu, walk in the sun. >> i think it feels right, but i'm going to say -- >> then i'll go the other way around. >> correct. >> who is correct? >> kathie lee. here we go. >> this has a double whammy. physical activity and vitamin d. both can boost your immune system. both can help. >> every time i feel a cold coming on i get on the treadmill and run so they sweat out the toxins. >> is that true? >> i think -- >> hey, it's my -- >> exercise is key, for sure. absolutely. here's an interesting one. >> okay. >> you can catch a cold through

your eyes. >> fact. >> both correct. yes. this is super interesting. so your tear ducts lead into your sinus cavities. >> don't touch your eyes. >> keep your hands out of your eyes. >> also your nose. stop picking your nose or you're going to get a cold. >> wait. this is our last one? >> here we go. antibiotics help fight the cold and flu. >> myth. >> myth. >> both right. you are great this morning. >> antibiotics -- wait. when we get to the last one, let me. >> antibiotics do not work. they are anti-bacterial, not anti-viral. colds and flu are viruses. so keep that in mind. >> this is a tie-breaker. >> we have to decide. it's the deciding question. come on. >> the final question. the flu shot guarantees you won't get the flu. >> myth. >> both correct. you ladies are on this morning. >> that means i get a bunch of crummy stuff. >> you are the winner with day quill.

>> thank you. >> thank you. >> a neti-pot. this is the nastiest invention. i love it. i love the neti-pot. >> we have video of jill, remember? >> squirting it out. it's nasty and it's so much fun. >> can we please do it tomorrow? >> no. >> from your man to your hairstylist, how much should you tip? >> your giving guide for the holiday. >> give me my neti-pot. ♪ good morning. we're watching a storm that's moving across the country. i'm meteorologist chris warren with a look at your weather channel forecast. this is a look at where we're going to see the storm pushing through the country, leaving with it snow, very strong winds. the strong winds will be with the storm as it moves through, and also behind it some cold air going to be dealing with temperatures into the 20s and 30s to the north. south of it you're going have some mild air. a big difference depending on

where you are. 60s and even 70s throughout parts of the south. it's going to be a gorgeous day but not so much if you find yourself anywhere near this area of low pressure on wednesday and on thursday. and then friday we're going to watch it move in the northeast. you're going to see that in a moment. the other side of things with the strong winds and snow, the other side you have the threat for severe weather as this pushes through bringing behind it much cooler air. remember we had some 70s in here. not the case by thursday. we're going to see those temperatures back down into the 50s. now here's that low on friday moving through the great lakes and the northeast. 40s the daytime highs, that's it for boston. and for new york you're going to see atlanta only upper 40s. that's much different after today's upper 60s expected. so big cooldown on the way. still some lingering showers in the lakes. another storm system moving into the pacific northwest. this is going to be one to watch over the weekend in the west. and then for christmas eve and christmas day we're going to see what happens once it gets clear

of the rockies. potentially could turn into another very big storm that works across the country, bringing with it more wind and more rain and possibly some snow on the north side of things. so we're looking at that storm. it's trekking across the country the next few days. today, tomorrow and friday. and then another one possibly for christmas. remember you can keep track of all of this when you wake up with al week days on the weather channel. you've felt like this before, right? 2:30 in the afternoon, a lot to do...and you've hit the wall. but you gotta get stuff done. so take 5-hour® energy. just open it up, knock it back and roll up your sleeves. 5-hour energy® is faster and easier than coffee... man, does it work! you'll get that alert, energized feeling you need to get stuff done... a lot of stuff. wow! look at you go. 5-hour energy®...when you gotta get stuff done.

[ sniffs ] i took dayquil but my nose is still runny. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't treat that. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ breathes deeply ] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. that's the cold truth!

>> it's time for today's money. with christmas just about a week ago you have just a few days to spread a little holiday cheer to all the folks who make your life a little easier every day. >> from teachers to caregivers and your letter carrier, you want to be generous, but you don't want to overdo it. you would like some left when you get around to the new year. what's the right amount and which tips should you skip? today financial editor jean schatsky is here to add her two cents.

always a word of wisdom from you. >> nice to see you. >> a lot of this is regional. in new york there are higher salaries and that kind of thing. >> more hand-outs if you live in an apartment building. >> if you look at standards for tipping, a lot of tips are based on either the week's salary or the cost of one visit. if you live someplace where salaries are higher or the cost of the visit is higher, you're going to be tipping more. >> that sounds very, very intimidating for people that are having trouble making ends meet to begin with. >> look, a thank you note, a heart-felt goes a very, very long way. you should always tip within your budget, and you should always feel, too, that if you can't give as much as you want now, maybe you'll make it up later. maybe you'll give a birthday gift. it's not anything that you must do. these are just guidelines. >> here's the thing, too. people have a pattern of giving a certain amount. then all of a sudden this past year has been rough for people. people are expecting a certain amount from you. >> yeah. >> and a lot of people, a lot of professions really do count on it.

gap folks did a survey, and 90% of the people say they are going to tip what they tipped last year. >> let's talk about some of the people and how much we should tip. what about babysitters, nannies, nurses, daily, people you are with every day. >> then it's one week's salary, one week's pay many general, plus, if it's somebody who is interfacing with your child, a nice little personal gift or a note from the child is a really, really nice thing to add. sometimes if you are a nurse or home health aide works for an agency, the agency has a policy against it, but you can usually get around it with a gift card that you know they'll be able to actually use. >> or you can bake cookies for them or do something like that. >> absolutely. >> what about a hairstylist, a manicurist, a dog walker, somebody you see on a less frequent basis. do you give them money, or is a gift better? >> generally here, again, it's cash. people really appreciate cash, and in many cases they need it. the cost of one visit, unless you see them very infrequently, and then you just double your tip. >> double your tip. >> double your regular tip. >> what about the newspaper delivery guy?

that guy i have empathy for. >> me, too. >> these days they double bag your paper. i mean, it's really, really $20 to $30 is a very nice tip for that person. for the sanitation worker. ask yourself have they gone an extra mile for you. if you have one of those garbage workers who actually drives up your driveway so you don't have to pull the cans back down, i think you tip them more. >> the fed-ex guy, what about somebody like that? >> you have to be careful. >> if you know these guys well and they come to your house. >> there are company policies. the post office, fed-ex says don't give our workers cash. they are allowed to accept gifts of under $25 in value. be careful. i know people have been saying to me all day, well, i give my postman cash, and he takes it, and, you know, that is probably true, but that's the policy. >> for people who live in cities, doormen and handymen and all that stuff -- >> that's tough because there can be 50 people that work in a building. >> absolutely. you can give one gift and they will spread it around, but general guidelines, a doorman, a super, $50 to $100. if you have a handyman in the

building, a little bit less. $20. ask your neighbors. here and with nannies you know they talk. you know they talk. you want to make sure that you are in range of what people are doing if you can afford to do that just because you're expecting the same level of service in the coming year. >> okay. all right, sweetie. >> thanks you, jean. >> my pleasure. >> have a great holiday. >> your holiday dinner with a portuguese influence. >> we are told it starts with a cocktail. we like that. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

>> it is time to take you into today's holiday kitchen for a little something special. a portuguese style seafood dinner. >> we're starting things off with a little vodka smash. i like portuguese people already. george mendez has been chef and owner of aldea restaurant right here in new york city. >> what are we drinking? >> these are vodka smash cranberry vodka muddled cranberries, mint. >> sounds delicious. >> sound like a little sea breeze. >> happy holidays. >> happy holidays. >> what are we making today?

>> i'm putting you guys to work. >> that's refreshing. >> sea scallops that are caramelized with olive oil and zest of lemon, lime, and orange. you got to try one of these. these are great to welcome your guests to your home. >> hmm. >> oh, gosh that's good. what did you put on top? >> zested lime and orange. >> that's it? >> yeah. >> oh, my gosh. that's delicious. >> the scallops are really fresh, and you caramelize them in a hot pan with olive oil. >> i'm going to have to have one more, don't you think? they're delicious. >> what else is down there? >> this is very important. this is a classical portuguese casserole. >> this is great. >> i'm going to eat one of those myself. >> those are very good. we slice these potatoes, yukon golds, in the fancy man doe lin here. this is a really cool technique that we poach cod at a really low temperature at olive oil, and you lift that off right into the paper towel.

>> how long are you soaking it in there or poaching it? >> about ten to 12 minutes, and the oil is about 180 degrees. really, really low. >> okay. you'll be able to -- >> really? >> you're going to be able to just flake the cod. just take a fork and it falls apart. >> what's going on there? stop it. >> we're going to end up using all of it. >> that looks really delicious. >> so far i have worked a lot more than hoda. >> exactly. i'm cooking. >> just saying. >> good job. they're cooking by themselves. >> what is this now? >> these are onions. >> of course, they are. >> thinly sliced with fresh bay leaf, garlic, and you saute them in olive oil. >> okay. all put together it's cod casserole. >> look what's happening down here. it dates back to 19th century portugal where you get port wine from. >> we love port wine. >> come on. >> now what do we do? >> sara, have one of these. >> bring the potatoes already sliced. have one more scallop. >> was a please implied? >> you just keep layering

potatoes like so to cover and then you put the onions down. >> once again, please was implied. >> yes. please, hoda. >> thank you. >> you're doing a fabulous job. >> thank you. >> okay. then you keep layering it and layering it and layering it. where does the cod go? >> the cod is going to go in next? you're going to do this here. >> i have to do everything. >> you didn't get all your onions in there? >> it's a layer. >> it's not equal though, hoda. >> it's a team effort here. let's go. come on, guys. >> i was just going to say -- >> we don't have much time here. >> you put more of that on top. >> more cod. then more potatoes. >> yes, yes. keep going with the cod. >> let's taste it. >> portuguese people survived on cod. we need to use a lot of this here. >> i want to give everybody a little slice. >> is that like a national dish? >> olives. and some eggy? >> then you baky? >> then it goes into a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. >> all right. we have to taste it because we